Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Dec. 31, 1953, edition 1 / Page 1
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WATAUGA COUNTY 1W0 POPULATION 1UI1 An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1*53 10 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS KING STREET BY ROB RIVERS NEW YEAR AND CALENDARS As New Year'i festivities crowd the Christmas holidays off the wintry scene, we are reminded that in this section the beginning of the year don't cause the com motion it does in some sections of the country, where the big part ies are held up until the old year wanes and dies . . . There are ex pressions of New Year's wishes, and an occasional "watch party", as they used to be called, but most of the partying has been done during Christmas ... A long time ago, the start of the New Year was associated with the placing of the new calendar on the wall, a new picture to take the place of the old . In some cases, the picture above the calendar pad became ^ part of life itself, and we can well re member how we hated to see "Custer's Last Stand" give Way to the garden scene, and our af fection for the big deer which featured a calendar by "The Alhambra Bar" . . . Down at the Democrat office we recall the big lion ' with a press roller in bis mouth, and the calendar sporting the big printing press, but we think there has ' never been a calendar in these parts so popu lar with the folks as the farm or almanac calendar, which became the trade mark for the Ramon's Liver Pills, a faithful reproduct ion of ?which is handed out each year Jby the Democrat . . . And the folks come from far and wide to get their "Ramon", which car ries all the information about the moon and tt\e signp, and when to set the hen, or wean the calf or plant the peas, a a well as a long range month-by-month weather forecast , . . And we set to won dering about calendars ih gener al, and the names of the months and the days, and dug up a bit of information which might be of interest . . . and at the same time furnish the fillin' for this first post-Christmas column. FROM ANCIENT ROME The Gregorian calendar now in ""general oh. goes back lo 1582, whan Pop* Gregory brought about a revision of tba Julian calendar which was used to maasura tima siaca 46 B. C. . . . Without trying to ferret out tha intricaciaa of tha mathods ? usad in producing tha present calandars, wa did find interest in recalling tha origin of tha names of months and days . . . Through the World Almanac, without which on* couldn't hope to operate for any length of tima. wa gather tha facts for the following: January, was named for Janus, the Roman god, who had two faces; one looking into the past and one gazing into the future. February comes from the Latin word Februo, to purify. It came at the season of Roman ceremon ies of purification. March, named for Mars, Ro man god of war, used to be the first month in the year. Then there were only ten, January and February having been added about 700 years before Christ. Old Saxons knew the month as Lenct, meaning spring, and this is the origin of our word Lent April is fron; the Latin word Aperio, to optn. It is at this sea son that the flowers and leaves begin to open. May was named for Maia, daughter of the Roman diety, Atlas. June was named for the god dess Juno. July for t long time was known by its old name of Quinti 11s. from the Latin meaning five, as it was the fifth month in the anicent calendar of Romulus; but its name was changed~to July in honor of Julius Carsar. August, too, retained its old name of S e x t i 1 1 s (the sixth month) until the time of Augus tus. who changed it to August September is from the Latin MgE^seven; originally the seventh month, it has been the (Continued on pa(e four.) 4-H YOUTHS WIN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS? These safety champs are national winners in the 4-H Farm and Home Safety Pngram. Their achievements in promoting safety on the farm and in the home won them $300 college scholarships, all- expense round trips to the 32nd National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago and a chance to talk with leaders oi industry. The scholarship award;, spon sored by General Motors for the ninth consecutive year, were presented in Chicago December 3. Here GM Vice' President Paul Garrett shows the youngsters some of the safety devices used b? indus try for protection of its workers. Left to right: Charles Bruch, 17, Lusk, Wyoming; Gayle Givens, 17, Frederick, Oklahoma* Erich Wlllen, 17, Westminster, Maryland; Hope E. Caswell, 17, Canton, New York; Mr. Garrett; Margie Sellers, 17, Whitesboro, Texas; Harriette A. Lee, 15, Montrose, Colorado; and George N. Fleming, 18, Sim ma, Montana. ' ' ? ? Local Burley Market T o Resume Sales Monday The Boone Burley Tobacco Market will reopen on Monday, January 4, after being closed for the Christmas holidays since Dec ember IS. The first sale will be held at Mountain Burley Ware house No. 1, beginning at 9 a. m. Watauga NCEA To Hold Meeting At Blowing Rock The Watauga Unit of the North Carolina Education Association will meet at the auditorium of the Blowing Rock High School Friday evening, January 8, start ing at 7 o'clock. The announcement of the meet ing is made by Mr. James Storie, president of the teachers organ ization and Blowing Rock School principal. The organization "will be en tertained by 'the Blowing Rock School faculty) and members of thelPTA. The business meeting will be followed by a social per iod in the school gymnasium. At the same time it is announ ced that the Blowing Rock PTA meeting will not be held on the first Tuesday as originally plan ned due to the teacher's meeting. Paul R. Wellborn Taken By Death Paul Ray Wellborn, of Deev Gap. died of a cerebral hemor rhage on Thursday, December 24. He was 20 yean of age. Funeral services were held De cember 27 at the Laurel Springs Baptist Church, with the Rev. Victor Trivette and the Rev. S. S. Graybeal officiating at the rites. He is survived by his parents. Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Wellborn of Deep Gap; six brothers: Allen. Arthur, and James Wellborn, all of Cleveland, Ohio; Junior and Billy Wellborn of the home; and Charles Wellborn, with the U. S. Army in France; three sisters: Mrs. Roy Graybeal, Deep Gap. Mrs. Linney Walker, Boone, and Mrs. Lee Michael, Norfolk, Va. "The before-Christmas average of $54.76 per hundred for 2,368, 278 pounds of tobacco is the high' est in the history of the market," said R. C. Coleman, operator of the Boone warehouses, "and there 13 ample reason to believe that prices will be as high or higher when sales resume on Monday, depending, of course, upon the quality of the tobacco." The previous high, he said, was in 1951, when the entire season's sales averaged $53.84 per hund- j red. The three Boone warehouses I are now open to receive tobacco, i as they have been throughout the holidays, and can accommodate more than a million pounds of to bacco, Mr. Coleman said. All to bacco is insured for full valve as soon as it U placed on the floor, he added. It was announced that another $90 will be distributed at the warehouse by the Merchants As sociation tc'farmers bringing to bacco in during the holidays. Every farmer who brings tobacco to Boone before 9 a. m. Monday will be eligible to participate in the drawing. ? W atauga Bankers T o Aid In $6,000 State Prize Essay Contest Three Trustees Are Elected For Watauga Hospital At the December meting of the board of director! of the Watauga Hospital, three new trustees -were elected to serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 1954. They are Stanley A. Harris, D. L. Wilcox, and Richard Morhauser. The new trustees succeed Gor don Winkler, Fred Gragg. and R. E. Agle. Under the system of rotation provided in the charter of the hospital, no trustee can succeed himself. The full board membership for 1954 will be: G. K. Moose. J, E. Holshouser, Guy Hunt, Lee Rey nolds, G. C. Green, Willis W. Chester, Stanley A. Harris, D. Wilcox, and Richard Morhauser. The annual meeting of the board of trustees will be held at the hospital Friday, January 8, at 12:30 p. m. Pakistan has informed Moscow that she has no intention of giv ing the United States military bases. Federal Bond Sales Exceed Local Quotas Combined sales of Scries E and H United States Saving! Bonds in Watauga County for the month of November totalled $21,20t.75. This sales announcement was made today by County Savings Bonds Chairman A. T. Adami, according to the monthly sales report issued by Allison James, State Director of the U. S. Sav ings Bonds Division in Greens boro. Watauga county's sales quota Jan. 1 to November 30 was $113, 1(2.90, the quota for the period was $84,780. The county sold 1133.5% of its quota. (Continued on pane two) ? , .'V.- . .. ?? High school students of Wata uga County today were invited to participate in a Statewide contest offering more than $6,000 in pri ces. The invitation was extended by bankers of Watauga County who are promoting "The Big Change," an oratorical contest sponsored by the North Carolina Bankers Association. The contest is designed to call attention to North Carolina's pro gress since the turn of the cen tury, and to cause high school students to devote some thought to how this progress may be con tinued in the future. The contest will begin with high school eliminations during the first week of March, 1954. The winners from each high school in the county will# compete on March 10- to determine the coun ty winner. The county winners, in turn, will compete on March 17 in group eliminations. The State has been divided into ten groups for the contest, roughly ten counties to the group. On March 24, the ten division winners will compete in division elirAinations. The State has been divided into three divisions for purposes of the contest. On March 31, the three division winner* win compete in the State finals in Raleigh. There will be prizes on all levels, with the three finalists winning $1,000, $900 and $290 respectively. Each county winner will receive a $29 Savings Bond; cach group winner will receive a >$100 Savings Bond. The three division winners will receivc $900 cash. * The Bankers Association, in sponsoring the contest, points to the remarkable progress made in | North Carolina during the past half century ? in education, in in (Coatinued on page three.) W atauga F arm Income Set At $2,868,000 For 1953 Babson Sees Good Business In 1954; Suggests Paying Of Individual Debt By ROGER W. BABSON Special to the Watauga Democrat I do not now believe in the theory of most economist! ? that business will fall off 10% in 1954, with a greater decline in net earnings. My feeling is that everyone will unite forces to hold up business, at least dur ing the first half, to its approx imate 1853 average. This can be done by expanding research, increasing advertising appropri ations, extending further credits, and obtaining labor's co-opera tion. - But, I say something much more important than the above; namely, if business should slump 10%, the decline would probably not stop at 10%, Too many bus iness concerns and individuals are working on a very narrow and slim margin. The decline in employment, with resulting bus iness losses which a 10% decline in gross would cause, could re sult in millions of families be ing unable to pay their bills and instalment obligations. Ths could set off a chain ^reaction, which could send business down 10% to 30% more, with a corresponding decline in the stock market, com modity prices, and real estate. In this latter case, the Eisenhower Administration would suffer as did the Hoover Administration. In view of this possible alter native, I have contacted -the leading newspaper publishers as to the attiude of their respective communities. Of these, over 970 have replied as follows: The peo ple of 30 communities are dis couraged and want to liquidate; 297 communities are optimistic and want to buy and invest more; 643 are now content and in a strong position, but are waiting until they see how 1954 develops. Due to the results of this sur vey, I believe the chances are ten to one that at least the first half of 1954 WILL BE FAIRLY GOOD. 1. There will be ho World War in the first half of 1954. 2. The Dow-Jones Industrial Stock Average will be less on June 30, 1054, than on January 1, 1954. 3. Taxes will be lowered by ex piring laws. 4. The price of most commodi ties will be lower on June 30, 1954. 5. The Eisenhower "Honey moorv" is fast ending and he will have a hard time controlling Con gress during the next six months. 0. Retail sales can be kept up by manufacturers and merchants spending more money on adver tising, selling, and developing new products. 7. The U. S. population will continue its present growth and the best prospects for sales in 1954 will be the "teen-agers." 8. Interest rates during the first six months of 1954 should average about as at present, except on the renewal of low-rate loans. 9. Farm lands, except near cities, will sell for less during the first half of 1954, when farm ers' profits will begin to decline. 10. The Central and Southwest will not suffer drought as in 1953. 11. There will be more fear of World Var III as years go on. People will gradually move out of ccrtain large cities Nearby farm land '"ill be split up. A rise in the price of such fringe farm land is certain. li. The U. S. Government will give less money to the European apd other nations direct! but will help them through the United Na ions. ? 18. There will be fewer em ployed next Juno? the total take home-pay will be less ? than last June. This, however, may be aj good thing tor the morale of the nation. li. The preaant Administration will suffer much opposition to at tempts to reduce tariffs if pro fits decline or unemployment in creases. IS. The Administration and the Labor Leaders will try to revamp the Taft'Hartley Bill during 1934; but bad itrikes are coming. 18. I am no weather prophet, but expert* expect a warmer winter for the eaitern portion of the U, S. and a colder Florida. 17. Canada will continue to boom during the firat half of 1054 (Continued on page three.) March Of Dimes To Start Campaign Here Father Of Former Boone Policeman Killed In Crash Morganton ? Samuel Ollis, 89, of the Three-Mile Creek section of Avery County,. died at ? p. m. Monday in the VaWese General Hospital of injuries he received in an automobile accident near here at 2:30 p. m. State Highway Patrolmen W. D. Anderson and R. G. Thompson said Ollis was a passenger in a car driven by his son, Valdesc Police Officer S. D. (Dock) Ollis, 62. The son received a -fractured hip and chest injury and accord ing to attaches at the Valdese hospital his condition was con sidered "not serious." The car left N. C. Highway 1B1 and crashed into a dirt embank ment about six miles north of here. The younger OJlis was quot ed as saying he must have fallen asleep while driving toward Mor ganton. William R. Jurney Dies In Elkin William R. Jurney, of Elkin, died at the hom^ Monday, fol lowing a lone period of failing health, according to information reaching a nephew, Rob Rivers of Boone. Mr. Jurney, a brother of the late Mrs. R. C. Rivers, Sr., was known to many of the older resi dents of the county, where he was once identified with publication of the Watauga Democrat. His first wife was Mies Lucy Farth ing, daughter of the late J. Watts Farthing and Mrs. Farthing of Boone. Funeral details were not com plete, but services were tentative ly set for S o'clock Tuesday af ternoon. Burial likely took place at Snow Creek Methodist Church, near the ancestral home in Ire dell county. ' In predicting that the year 1954 should be "very good" for busi ness, Lothair Teeton, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, explain ed that there would be "adjust ments" but that these would not be severe and the "over-all pic ture will be that of a very gool business year." Mrs. Ralph Tugmin, county campaign director (or the 1964 March of Dimes effort announced this week that the Watauga cam paign for funds will be held Jan uary 2 through 31. She also list ed some of the workers who are to help her in the work. Last year the local campaign netted over $3,000, Mrs. Tugman stated, and was used in the fight agaiitst Polio. This year the need is even greater than last for money to carry on the care for polio patients and to do the re search work carried on by tht National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and others. The slogan this year for the local campaign will be: "Let's Go Through the Door in '54," and practically everyone in the county will be called on to help. All the schools will carry on a campaign, the Home Demonstration Clubs, under the direction of Miss Mary Helen Neill, home agent, and the civic clubs of the county will be backing the drive, and making special efforts to raise the needed funds. The 48's Dance Club will spon sor the annual March of Ditpes dance, and the annual Quartet singing will be held again, and a Talent Show will be staged by persons at Appalachian State Teachers College. No date or plans for these events have been announced, according to Mrs. Tugman. Names of Mrs. Tugman's staff, as she announced them Include Mrs. John G. Martin, secretary, with Mrs. Crayte Teaguc assist ing; G. C. Greene, Jr., treasurer. Ralph Tugman and Mrs. Leo K. Pritchett are to handle the radio (Continued on page two.) Stores To Close For New Year According to information re ceived from Merchants Associa tion sources, all department stores, grocery stores, the North western Bank, and the Watauga Building & Loan office in Boone will be closed all day Friday, January 1st, in observance of New Year's Day. The post office will also ob serve January 1st as a legal holi day, with the windows remaining closed all day. As far as can be learned, most other Boone business places will be open for business on January 1st. Christn\as Shopping In Boone Sets New Record Christmas shopping in Boone reached an all time high In dol lar volumo, according to an unof ficial estimate of a representa tive group of local merchant*, who have not yet had an oppor tunity to compare actual figure*. G. R. Andrew*, president of the Merchant* Association of Boon* and Watauga County, (aid tlx All -V-i' ' Wis ? merchants he has talk.d to re portal ? substantial gain over last year's December sales. One store manager estimated his gain at near the $3,000 mark (or the month, up until Christ mas, and (his is believed to be a (airly representative (igure (or stores which feature Christmas gilt items. Drop Seen From Peak 1 952 Level Watauga's (arm income (or 1993 ia estimated at $2,868,000 in the annual (arm report compiled by County Agent L. E. Tuckwil ler and released (or publication the (irst o( the week. This is $517,838 less- than the (inal adjusted (arm income rec ord o( $3,383,838 (or 1952, com pleted last January, after publi cation o( the original estimate o( $2,578,000. The drop in local (arm income is attributed to the lower prices on livestock, aggravated by con tinued drought conditions. Some loss is seen in the income (rom milk, while burley tobacco and vegetables seemed to have held their own in the price structure. The breakdown o( the 1953 in come shows that livestock and livestock products accounted (or $987,000, itemized as (ollows: poultry and poultry products $180,000, dairy products $290,000, livestock and livestock products $<$7,500. Firm crop Income totaled 91, 110,900, at follow*: tobacco $885, 900, vegetables $989,000, potatoes $200,000, fruit $80,000, other crop sales $80,000, farm forest pro ducts sales $70,000. Some of the major extension activities and accomplishments in 1993 were: The Blue Ridge Fair had more interest from farm people than in any previous year. The Watauga Hereford breed ers sold 47 lots in the eleventh annual sale for $9,187.90. The first annual Watauga Here ford breeders bull sale was held in April and sold 19 bulls for $3,123.90. A pre-sale show was held in connection with the Hereford sale in October. The! champion ship in the bull class went to Finley P. Hodges, Boone, and in the cow class to Shipley Farm, Vilas. The 1953 Watauga County beef cattle farmers purchased 68 reg istered bulls. The Boone Chamber of Com merce sponsored the "Get of Sire" class at the Boone Feeder Calf Sale. Commercial beef cattle produc ers in Waauga and Avery Coun ties sold 204 calves in the third annual Boone Feeder Calf Sale. The Watauga Wool Pool sold 38,271 pounds of wool for $21, 983.80. The Watauga Lamb Pool sold 2,499 head of lambs and sheep for $39,729.09. The Watauga County purebred Hampshire Sheep breeders sold registered sheep in all the sales sponsored by the N, C. Purebred Sheep Breeders Association. Joe Wilson, Reece, sold the highest selling ram in the Boone Ram Sale. This ram sold for $129.00 to Elbert Hunter, Win ston-Salem. Commercial sheep producers purchased 36 registered rami in 1993. Watauga County (wine breed er* purchased (our registered boars in 1993. The Watauga County 4-H clubs prepared and exhibited a live stock booth at th? 1993 N. C. State Fair. The theme of .this booth was "Feed Requirements for Each Class of Livestock." Watauga County 4-H sheep shearers won first and second place in the state shearing contest and went to Chicago to partici pate in the National 4-H Sheep ? Shearing Contest. Paul Brookshire. a WaUugiMs County 4-H boy, won first plan* with his lamb in the Tri-Counte: ' (Continued on p??A two) iflL\ m&.
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 31, 1953, edition 1
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